HAIDEN HENDERSON - HELL OF A GOOD TIME
“It really feels like it nailed the intersection of pop and rock that I love.” says Haiden Henderson in regard to his newest single. The young musician has been steadily building his reputation online through his work on platforms such as Tiktok, Instagram, and those alike, and it doesn’t appear that he plans to slow down anytime soon considering his growing popularity amongst Gen Z.
In fact, it seems he’s just kicking off.
With a groundbreaking debut album and a recent EP under his belt, Henderson’s latest release, a single titled Hell of a Good Time, is his most streamed yet after just a couple of weeks of public availability. This could partially be due to the incessant promotion he did for the song on his social platforms or maybe because it’s just that good.
Composed by Henderson and renowned producers Midi Jones and Lauren Christy Edwards, Hell of a Good Time is founded on a gritty guitar sound reminiscent of Justin Stockton (Primal Moon)’s signature edge.
From all instrumental aspects, actually, the whole piece teeters on the lines of being a more alternative song rather than pop. The layered guitar tracks bring an in-your-face energy that the drums and bass only build off of, the final product being a song you’d get out of the early 2000s alt-pop scene from artists like Justin Timberlake or Neon Trees.
You can hear influence from this style within Hell of a Good Time through every element down to the mere layout of the lyrical content.
The only critic I could think to point out within Hell of a Good Time would be that of the vocals. Henderson has a really distinct singing style that melds nicely with the technique he has going elsewhere in the song but amidst the mixing and mastering, it seems that effects have been added to sort of distort the original vocals.
It’s not quite being overused but it definitely gives an auto tuned Disney Channel original movie soundtrack sort of vibe, which I don’t think Henderson is exactly striving to achieve in his work.
Moving forward from my personal beliefs about Hell of a Good Time, I got the chance to ask Henderson some questions about the single, his journey, and what’s to come below.
Where are you from/how was your upbringing? How do you think it impacted where you are today?
I’m from the central valley of California, near Fresno. I grew up in a pretty active gang community so there was a good amount of violence and drug dealing in the little towns that I lived in. I also had a single mom for a lot of my youth and my father was in and out of prison. This gave my little brother and I a pretty strong feminine presence in our lives and I think it helped me a lot in how I navigate my relationships now.
Who are some artists that truly made you fall in love with music?
Sam Fender, Maggie Rogers, Arctic Monkeys, Death Cab for Cutie, John Mayer, Madison Cunningham, and more!
Describe your creative process - from early writing stages to the final product (be as thorough as you wish).
My first two projects were spent writing alone in my bedroom on an acoustic guitar and that process was relatively grueling but very satisfying. I’ve recently allowed some close friends and collaborators into the process and have been having a lot of fun in the studio. I usually come in with a phrase or melody idea and a general sense of where the story can go from there. Then we search around for some chords that feel in the world and work backwards to tell the story.
What’s your stance on the current state of the music industry? Especially focusing on those artists who are smaller and have to start essentially from the bottom.
Growing in the music industry is now easier than it’s ever been and growth means less than it ever has as a result of that. The saturation level is so high now that it’s really difficult to even know where you should put your energy. I feel lucky that I got on TikTok during the pandemic because I got my footing as the app was still becoming popular.
If you were to officially record and cover a song, which song would it be and why?
Hmmm I think I would do “She Looks So Perfect” by 5 Seconds of Summer haha.
Who are some current “underdogs” in music that you really enjoy?
I’ve been loving Julia Wolf lately, she’s got a really unique writing style and voice. Also my friend Frex never fails to impress me.
Out of your entire discography, which song are you proudest of? Could you go into detail about the story or even the journey behind it?
Of the released songs, “hell of a good time” really feels like it nailed the intersection of pop and rock that I love. I’m also proud of how easily this song came to us on the day. It felt like the first idea that came to mind was what we ended up with and I’m more used to writing being a puzzle. I came in wanting to write the opening song of a rock concert. Something that gets people hyped for the rest of the night and I think we succeeded in that mission.
Are there any non-musical things that impact your work? (Ex: film, visual art, etc.)
I love movies and they definitely influence what music I listen to or the way I like to expose information throughout the story of a song.
What do you feel sets you apart in the music industry compared to other artists, specifically those in the same genre of pop?
I like to think that because I always stick true to my experiences and points of view in my lyrics, my songs are inherently unique. I don’t feel like another artist could sing my songs as authentically as I do because I write them to be that way. The same goes with my social media presence while also elevating things with my modeling experience and consistent focus on fashion and editorial vibes.
All in all, you can tell that Hell of a Good Time is a real turning point for Henderson and his career. If you take an extensive look back through his past songs, you can really track the development and growth he’s endured as an artist even if his work only goes back three years. It would be insane to see where he’s at in just another three years or even further than that: for all we know, he could be the next The Driver Era.